Netflix Star Slams Movies That Made Him A Heartthrob

Calling the films “ridiculous,” “not universal,” and “an escape,” Jacob Elordi says he has no intention of moving forward with any more roles of that type. Instead, he’s seeking to forge his own path away from the image of a young lead in fluff romantic comedies. Though he signed on for two Kissing Booth sequels, the actor has made it clear that he is adamant about never doing any more of those movies or anything like them.

Jacob Elordi originally took the role as an attractive High School athlete for the Netflix project as a way to further his career, but quickly determined that he needed to head in a different direction after finding success. As the Australian actor’s career has unfolded, he’s also become known for his role in Euphoria, which was a major stepping stone on his path out of heartthrob status.

Commenting that he has been called pretentious for not wanting to dive back into the material that made him famous, the actor remarked that it is hardly pretentious at all to be careful about the material one chooses to appear in.

In fact, Jacob Elordi is adamant that it is much worse to knowingly crank out meaningless fluff and waste people’s time, which he calls their most valuable asset. Instead, he turned down an audition to play Superman and instead embraced a role in the forthcoming drama film Saltburn. He is also currently appearing as Elvis in Sofia Coppola’s new film Priscilla, which focuses on the king of rock and roll’s wife.

Jacob Elordi is quick to counter the narrative that actors should do one film for the studios followed by one film for themselves, calling that mindset in itself “a trap.” He rather sees that plan devolving into mostly doing films for studios, instead finding himself much more satisfied to select the projects he finds most interesting. In that sense, he seems to be following the examples of actors like Daniel Radcliffe who have taken on major roles in big studio films and then forged their own paths by doing smaller, independent, and dramatic films which offer them more challenge as actors.

Describing himself as “restless” when he watches superhero movies, Jacob Elordi says that he instead prefers to star in films that are the type he likes to watch. Such self-assured focus and determination in a young star is certainly refreshing and encouraging to see.

In an era when big studios and actors have been particularly at odds, both creatively and financially, young actors like Jacob Elordi seem to be much more likely to push back against the Hollywood system and make their careers in their own image.